Some tomato farmers in the Ziope area of the Agortime-Ziope district in the Volta Region, are expressing deep concerns over recurring post-harvest losses, which they say has persisted for years without any intervention.
The farmers say large portions of their produce rot on the farms each year due to the lack of ready market, and they are threatening to abandon tomato farming altogether if the government fails to address their challenges.
The farmers voiced out their concerns through the Ghana News Agency (GNA) during a visit to some tomato farms in the area.
Michael Agbobli, who owned a five-acre tomato farm, told GNA that he felt disheartened by the poor returns on his investment, and said the low prices offered by buyers did not reflect the high cost of cultivation.
“A crate of tomatoes is being sold for as low as GH¢100.00, so I’ve even refused to harvest some of the crops because it’s just not worth it,” he said.
Cedi sells at GH¢11.96 to $1 on interbank market
Agbobli appealed to the government to establish a tomato processing factory in the district to reduce post-harvest losses and support farmers.
Grace Adzolo, another tomato farmer, shared similar concerns, questioning why successive governments had failed to build a tomato factory in the area to ensure ready market for the produce, leaving farmers impoverished despite their hard work and investments.
“We need action now. Even a mobile factory would help us reduce the losses and improve our livelihoods,” she urged.
Mawuli Abusah, the Agortime-Ziope District Director of the Department of Food and Agriculture, when reached by GNA, on the possibility of the district having a factory, he said there had been several discussions on the subject over the years, but none had yielded any fruit.
Abusah said he recently had talks with an investor, who promised to situate a factory at the Dabala Junction, so that tomatoes produced from Agortime-Ziope, Akatsi North, Anloga, Keta and part of Ada East and West Districts, could be transported there for processing.
He said the investor wanted the factory established there because of its central point.
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